Daily Republican., 1887-04-27
LEAPING FOR THEIR LIVES.
Two Persons Killed and Three Fatally
Hurt In q burning House-A Four
Story Grocery A blaze.


Hurt In q Burnipg Houre-A Four
Story Grocery Abiaxe.
PITTsBURG, April 26 Fire at Willis
Brothers grocery. Allegheny City, at
70 O'Clock this morning, ents,led loss
OF life and injury to several people,
besides destruction to considera BILE
property. Charles, John and George
Willis and their mother and some
iodgers occupied the upper part of the
fouf-story building. Shortly after /
O'Clock Mrs. Willis was awakened By
cracking noiss and the smell OF smohe.
She saw sparks coming up the elevator.
Before the engines arrived the FIRE had
gained great hesaway. Tho fremen
ran up ladders, while the policemen
broke 10 the doors and fought their way
to the rooms Of the lodgers.
Up ttaire, bewildered by the smoke
and fsmee, were Mrs. Willis, Misg
Olive Willis, Miss Mary Willis, John
Willie, William Eberman, two Greeks,
named Hoggitzrun and Prelle-jzan.
Fred 6hultz, Charles Willis, George
Willis and Miss Sophie Boies. The
smoke was thick and hung through the
pasesaes and Railways In clouds 30
dense that lantern gave no light; to
open q window from one Of the ladders
thrown up against the building was 10
meet cloud Of suffocating vapor, but
into II all both Aremep and policemen
|plunged. Some fell and had to be
dragged out, but they managed 10 reach
the third f)or and began the rescue.
The heads of the frightened women
we're enveloped In cloths, and they
were carried out all unipjured except
Sophie Boles; she could not be found.
One OF the most appalling incidents
OF the fire was the Jumping OF two of
the people from the building while the
dremen were fighting their way up
stairs. An awe-struck crowd stood on
the streets gazing mp 1t the burning
building, when William Eberman ap-
peared At the window on the third fiocr.
He was too far gone to shout, but he
was seen, and the crowd yelled 10 him
TO hold on. A ladder went up, and a
mad hastily started to help the 81 fer.
Ing man. When the rescuer had reach.
ed the second floor Eberman was seen
to lurch forward, and then como down
with rush. Whether he fell or Jump
cd could not be told, the movement was
so quick. He fell on his head and
shoulder, and was picked up uncon.
scious.
One OF tho Greeks, Hoggitzurn, was
on the fourth floor. The Greek had
poised himself on the sill, looked at the
flames behind and the pavement below,
and then made o epring from the sill.
Just as bis body shot downward, q msn
from the crowd ran forward, and, with
arms outstretched, caught ihe falling
body. The force sent him to the grounS
with the Greek. but the latter hit the
pavement, and 1t is thought his skull IL
fractured. The man who had run this
risk for stranger disappeared.
The bodies Of Sophie Boles and Fred
Shultz were found on the fourth floor.
They were still In bed, and were evi.
IDENTIFY suffocated by smoke.
The two Greeks came here from
Brooklyn, where they are we'll known.
Their condition ia very serious, and re.
covery is not considered possib BILE. Eber.
man Is resting easy, but there is little
hope fol- his recovery. The FIRE is sup.
posed to have been caused by an explo-
sion Of natural gas.